Demountable tire-rim.



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

nnngr c. arr. AND LEwrs E. rooms, or PORTLAND, onneou.

DEMOUNTABLE' TIRE-RIM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

' Patented Aug. 5,1913.

To all-whom z't may concern:

Be itknown that we, Bnnr C. BALL and Lnwrs E. Yoomn, citizens of theUnited States, residing at Portland, in the county of Multnomah andState of Oregon, have invented new and useful'Improvements 1nDemountable. Tire-Rims, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to demountable tire rims, and consists in certainimprovements in the'construction thereot as will be hereinafter fullydescribed and pointed out in the. claims.

The invention forms a. part of the subject matter contained inapplication #584,161, filed September 26, 1910.

It is particularly advantageous where it is desirable to, carry a tireon the rim in an inflated condition. In addition to. this, the presentconstruction is such that the tire itself may be quickly and readilydetached from the rim so that in this sense, the invention relates to aseparable rim.

The. invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings as follows:

' Figure 1 shows a side elevation of the wheel with a tire in placethereon; Fig. 2 a section of a demountable wheel rim, and wheel fell'yon'the line 2-2 in Fig. 1. Fig.

3- a side elevation of the rim showing the method of unlocking the rimpart. Fig. 4 a plan view of a fragmentofthe rim.

. 1: marks the wheel hub, 2 the spokes and 3 the felly. These may be ofany ordinary construction. The fixed rim 4; is arranged on the telly. Ithas the tapered surfaces 5 and 6. The tire rim IS formed in two parts 7and 8. The part 7 has the exterior annular shoulder 9, while the part 8has the interior shoulder 10, these shoulders being arranged a tointerlock so as to sustain the lateral strain on the rim. The part 7 hasthe tapered surfaces 11 and 12 which conform to or engage the taperedsurfaces 5 and 6. A bolt 13 extends through the folly. A flanged washer14 at one end'engages the thicker part of the fixed rim 4, and thewasher 15 is of sufiicient diameter to engage the edge of the part 7. Asthe bolt is set up by the nut 16, the tapered surfaces 11 and 12 areforced upon the surfaces 5 and 6 so as to make a tight fit between thefixed rim and the rim part.

The rim part 7 is separated transversely at 17, and the rim part 8 a comlete annulus. This separation is on a sligt slant to mounted.

the radial line, thus permitting this rim part to be swung down when thetire is demounted as clearly shown in Fig. 3. By this springing down,the shoulder 9 clears the shoulder 10 and permits the removal of the rimpart 7. The rim part 8 has the lip 18 which extends inwardly from theshoulder 10 and overlaps the part- 7.

It will be noted that the rim part 8 forms a complete ring and preventsthe outward expansion of the rim part 7, and the rim part 7 separatedtransversely is securely clampedwhen the parts are on the fixed rimbetween thecomplete ring 8 and the fixed rim 4. This is a very importantfeature in that when the tire. is mounted and in use, and becomesdeflated, the rim part 7 which is transversely separated is securelylocked in place so as to prevent its accidental detachment. Furthermore,that portion of the part 7 adjacent to the ends and projecting laterallyfrom the. supporting fixed rim forms the weakest portion of the rim andthis is better secured by reason of the fact that the inner portions ofthese ends are securely clamped against the inner surface of the part 8by the action of the tapered surfaces 5 and 6 of the fixed rim 0n thesurfaces 11 and 12.

Both the rim, parts have tire supporting surfaces, and they have theshoulders 7 and 8* formed directly on the parts. Preferably, theshoulders are of such shape that the edge of the tire itself locks theend of the rim part 7 from springing inwardly so, as to disengage theshoulders 9. and 10 when the rim is demounted and the tire inflated. Asshown the rims are formed for a clencher tire and the edges of theshoulders 7 and 8 project inwardly so that the. locking edge of such atire will extend under the shoulders and thus lock the rim parts whende- The shoulders 9 and 10 are undercut. By

undercutting the shoulders adjacent to the line of separation 17, theshoulders are locked in engagement by the pressure put on the rim partsas the tire is inflated. It will j be readily observed that when thetire is inflated the two rim parts are subjected to great lateral strainincident to the inflation pressure and the undercutting of theshoullders-makes it necessary in order to disengage the parts whileinflated to move the tire shoulders 8 and 7 toward each other a distanceequal to the undercut against this strain. Through this construction,therefore, the rim parts are securely locked to gether when demounted bythe action of the tire itself. This interlocking of the undercutshoulders may be depended upon entirely for lockingthe rim parts butwhere the clencher flanges '7 and 8 are used these flanges are alsolocked by the tire edges as the tire is inflated. It is preferable,however, to have the undercut shoulders in that the locking is thenaccomplished directly at the shoulders so that there is no danger of thespringing of the parts permitting the disengagement of the shouldersunder inllation strain. It will also be observed that these lockingdevices operating in connec tion with the tire are manually operativewith the tire deflected to release the shoulders from engagement. Byreason of this,-

the tire may be readily removed from the rim parts when demounte-dwithout the use of tools and this is an important advantage inconstructions of this type. The construction malres one of very fewparts, and is one that operates very successfully. Each rim part has atire supporting surface, as well as, a securing shoulder. The shoulders9 and 10 may be varied in position laterally as desired. For some formsof metal it may be desirable to change the location of these shoulderslaterally, from the position shown, but we prefer the location of theshoulder as arranged. This rim lends itself very readily to thedetaching of the tire. All that is necessary is to force that part ofthe tire edge immediately adjacent to one of the ends of the rim part 7so as to permit the springlng down of the end of the rim part 7. As

' soon as the springing down starts it permits a slight lateralspringing of the rim part and the rolling over of the edge of the tireallows of the ready separating of the rim parts without a lateralmovement of the edge of the tire. This is very desirable in that thetire parts especially at the bottom often become so engaged that it isdifficult to move them laterally.

In assembling the rim the tire is placed on the part 8, one end of thepart slipped into place and then pressure is exerted successively topoints around the part 7 untilthe opposite end is snapped into place. Itwill he noted that the surface opposite the locking surface of theshoulder 10 is sloping sov that as the edge of the part 7 is forced toplace in assembling the parts this sloping surface forces it inwardly soit will slip past the shoulder 10.

By arranging the locking shoulders 9 and 10 at one side of the rim theadded thickness of the assembled rim at that side may be utilized inconnection with the fixed rim to permit of the ready assembling of thedemounted rim on the fixed rim. in carrying out this advantage, thefixed rim is formed of lesser diameter at one side than the other andthe shouldered side of the as sembled rim is arranged to engage the sideof the fixed rim having the lesser diameter. In this way that part ofthe demounted rim opposite the interlocking shoulder side may be madecomparatively thin and still properly engage the fixed rim and theinterlock ing shoulders of themselves give sufficient thickness to thatside of the demountable rim to compensate forthe diiferenoe in diameterof the fixed rim.

What we claim as new is: 1. in a demountable tire rim, the comhinationof two rim parts, the first separated transversely and having a tireretaining flange and an exterior locking shoulder thereon; the saidlocking shoulder being at the side of the assembled rim the more re- I vmote from the tire flange on said separated part and the second partbeing in the form of a ring and having a tire retaining flange andinterior locking shoulder thereon, the first part extendingtelescopically within the second part with the locking shouldersinterlocking at the side of the assembled rim the more remote from theflange on the separated rim part, the assembled rim presenting aninterior supporting surface of smaller diameter at the side having theinterlocking shoulders. I

2. In a demountabletire rim, the combination or two rim parts, the firstpart scparated transversely and having a tire retain ing flange forreceiving the tire thrust at onev edge, and an, exterior lockingshoulder at the side of the-assembled rim the more remote from the tireretainingfiange on said first part; and a second part forming a completering and having an interior locking shoulder engaging the exteriorlocking shoulder on the first part and having a tire retaining flangenear its edge.

'3. In a demountable tire rim, the combination of two rim parts, thefirst part separated transversely and having a tire retaining flange forreceiving the tire thrust at one edge, and an exterior locking shoulderat the side of the assembled rim the more remote from the tire retainingflange on said first part; and a second part forming a complete ring andhaving an interior locking shoulder engaging the exterior lockingshoulder on the first part, having a tire retaining flange near itsedge, and having a lip extending inwardly from the locking shoulder andoverlapping the first part.

4:. In a demountable tire rim, the combination of two rim parts, thefirst part separated transversely, and having an exterior lockingshoulder thereon, a tire retaining flange thereon for directly engagingthe edge of the tire and a tire supporting surface extending laterallyinward from the tire retaining flange for directly engaging the innerperiphery of the tire, said tire retaining flange having an inwardlyprojecting edge adapting it for a clencher tire; and a second rim partforming a complete ring and having an interior locking shoulder engagingthe exterior locking shoulder on the first part, and a tire retainingflange for directly engaging the edge of the tire, said tire retainingflange having an inwardly projecting edge, the said rim parts beingadapted to be locked in engagement by the pressure of an inflated tire,and the engaged exterior and interior locking shoulders being shallowcompared with the tire shoulders to permit of the removal of the greaterpart of the first rim part by an inward and lateral movement on the partand a tilting movement on the tire edge.

5; In a demountable tire rim, the combination of two rim parts, thefirst part sepa rated transversely and having an exterior lockingshoulder thereon, and a tire retaining flange; and a second part forminga com lete ring having. an interior locking shoulder in the form of arib with an engaging surface on one side of the rib for engaging theexterior locking shoulder on the first rim part, and a sloping surfaceopposite the engaging surface, said second rim part having a tireretaining flange thereon and a lipmxtending laterally from the rim part,the inner sur cc of the lip terminat ing in'the sloping surface of therib.

6. In a: demountable tire rim, the combination of two rim parts, thefirst part in one piece separated transversely and forming with its endsin engagement a complete annulus, and having an exterior lockingshoulder and a tire retaining flange thereon; and a second part forminga complete ring and having an interior locking shoulder engaging theshoulder on the first part, said shoulders being undercut adjacent tothe ends of the first part, and devices on said parts operating inconnection with a pneumatic tire locking the first part against aflexure disengaging said locking shoulders with the tire inflated andmanually operative with the tire deflated to release the shoulders fromengagement. In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

, BERT C. BALL. v 1 LEWIS E. YOUNIE. Witnesses:

ELIJAH CoRBE'rT, H. V. CARPElgTER.

